1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for imaging organs within a living body and so on by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to generate ultrasonic images to be used for diagnoses.
2. Description of a Related Art
In medical fields, various imaging technologies have been developed for observation and diagnoses within an object to be inspected. Especially, ultrasonic imaging for acquiring interior information of the object by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves enables image observation in real time and provides no exposure to radiation unlike other medical image technologies such as X-ray photography or RI (radio isotope) scintillation camera. Accordingly, ultrasonic imaging is utilized as an imaging technology at a high level of safety in a wide range of departments including not only the fetal diagnosis in obstetrics but also gynecology, circulatory system, digestive system, and so on.
Generally, in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, an ultrasonic probe including plural ultrasonic transducers having transmission and reception functions of ultrasonic waves is used. By using such an ultrasonic probe, an object to be inspected is scanned with an ultrasonic beam formed by synthesizing plural ultrasonic waves, ultrasonic echoes reflected within the object are received and reception focusing processing is performed, and thereby, image information on structures (e.g., internal organs, diseased tissues, and soon) existing within the object can be obtained based on intensity of the ultrasonic echoes and an ultrasonic image is displayed on a display unit.
Recently, in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the performance capable of preferably displaying moving images of rapidly moving tissues and organs in real time is required. Further, in a portable type ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can be battery-powered, lower power consumption is required.
As related technologies, Japanese Patent Application Publication JP-P2005-512649A (International Publication WO 03/052152 A1) discloses an ultrasonic imaging system having an image display that has a response time suitable for optimally displaying rapidly moving tissues and organs. The ultrasonic imaging system includes a system chassis, an ultrasonic scanhead coupled to the system chassis, and an organic light emitting device display coupled to the system chassis. The display includes a viewing screen on which an ultrasonic image can be displayed with superior response time, contrast ratios, and viewing angles.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Publication JP-P2003-66918A discloses a display device in which image deterioration due to moving image blurs or the like can be suppressed while upsizing and complication of the structure are suppressed. The display device includes a display element array in which drain wires and gate wires are formed in a matrix form, a drain driver for supplying a gradation voltage according to an image to the display elements, a gate driver for scanning lines of the display elements for supplying the gradation voltage, a data control circuit for inserting blanking data into image data for one frame period of the image, and a timing control circuit for generating clocks for scanning the lines of the display elements such that the image data and the blanking data are displayed within the one frame period on arbitrary display elements.